Marissa Jasso is a junior English major.
According to the second law of thermodynamics, isolated systems gravitate to a state of entropy; chaos, decline and disorder. Voters embody these characteristics, as we tend to prefer the unfavorable. We look for change, and most of all, we enjoy relishing in the negative.
Voters today are so consumed by pessimism, that whenever positive things are said regarding politics, they are not praised so much as ignored. If you search for “positive things Hillary Clinton has said” into Google, the first item that comes up is “10 Horrible Things Hillary Has Said About Groups of People,” the second thing is “20 Hillary Clinton Quotes You Should Read Before Voting For Her,” and the third is “15 Stupidest Things Hillary Clinton Has Ever Said.”
Nobody ever said politics was a field of flowers. At one of Clinton’s most recent fundraisers, she maliciously explained why stereotypical politician jokes are so funny: because they are true. She assigned a title to half of Trump’s supporters, as a “basket of deplorables.” Her intention was never to offend, but by ignorantly generalizing a mass amount of people based on their opposing beliefs, she became the cliché politician; a postulating, graceless elitist who will say anything for votes.
Historically, we judge those by the content of their character, but Clinton skews this lens since citizens don’t know what to make of her. She is first seen as aloof, cold and unrelatable, then too indecisive in her political stances, and now too aggressive. The one thing people are sure of is that she is unsure of her message. What is there to judge if someone seems like they’re incapable of demonstrating a consistent character? Even sociopaths stick to one personality. If she had a more definitive stance in her opinions, Hillary probably would be not be criticized any less, but simply in different ways.
Perhaps the best way out of a messy situation is to take a temporary step back. Clinton is a politician, yes, but also a human being. She has been in our shoes, having been a voter faced with choosing a candidate. We on the other hand, have not been in hers, faced with the pressure of carefully shaping every decision that affects were presidential campaign. Her harsh words will not win her votes, but neither will her loving ones. There is hardly any string of words she could conjure together that would go entirely without criticism.
Although I do not stand in allegiance with Trump’s platform, I do not take offense at his remarks, and always take them a grain of salt. One should not take the words of politicians straight to heart without considering where they are coming from. If Clinton, or any candidate for that matter, slipped up, it is not our responsibility to point and laugh, but rather to help them up in mutual understanding that we are human, and we make mistakes. There shouldn’t need to be an incentive to be a good person; having compassion is reason enough. Though we cannot always stand in each other’s shoes, we can recognize the fact that we’re all different sizes. Candidates are treated like Gods or garbage and it’s time to start treating them like the humans they are.
